I am an avid fan of Couchsurfing.org. By searching profiles, you can stay with strangers (for free!) all over the world. I have made long-lasting friends from crashing on their couches. I have seen small towns and huge cities from a local’s view. I rarely have a bad experience with Couchsurfing (CS), but I’m going to tell you the good, bad, and ugly as well as 9 tips for safe Couchsurfing (click to jump to the bottom of the post).
Sign up for Couchsurfing on this link & add the app to your phone to make it even easier to use.
surfing in New Mexico, taking shots of whiskey & pickle juice with our hosts
The porch of a home in Minnesota
Couchsurfing isn’t only for backpackers
I have surfed all over the world, half of the places I have been alone! I find it to be safe, convenient, and fun. Couchsurf requests aren’t the only helpful thing, sometimes a CS message can be very beneficial. I used CS messaging to make friends when I moved to Charlotte and didn’t know anyone. I know it sounds creepy, and the one that lied about his age (16) was creepy. But the rock climber dude and silk aerial chick are still my friends today!
Tim, John “chip”, Vanessa, and Lauren
One Direction Posters. I chose to stay with this family in a small town because they seemed nice and had never had anyone stop to surf.
Some of my all-time favorites were in small towns that I would’ve have seen without the organization. I used Couchsurfing on my Route 66 Road trip, as well as my drive back East across the North of the U.S.
Here is my Couchsurfing search hint: If you are looking to see the ulture and aren’t particularly worried about which town it’s in, search by who the person is first when you search by area/country then Google their city to see if It’s somewhere you’d like to go. In Fergus Falls I stayed at a hippie chic home on a beautiful lake (below). I hope that I have a chance to meet the mom of the family, Devora, as I missed her.
Ahh a nice room after a long day of driving cross-country
What if you don’t find anyone good on search?
Don’t just stay with someone because it’s free. If you can’t find a good match, then you shouldn’t use CS for that town. You can find cheap hostels all over the world, sometimes under $10. Even in London, I found one for $9. For cheap hostels, guesthouses, cute bnbs, or great deals on hotels I use Agoda.
If you want that experience of staying with someone but want it a little more safe or legit, you can try airbnb which is amazing and has reviews as well. I have a discount code for you: $40 off your stay if you use this airbnb link to book. I found great places in India and Hawaii on here!
Why should you couchsurf?
There are definite perks to CS’ing! Especially that time my host picked me up from the police station. Some places have wifi passwords and information to the house written out for you because they have CS’ers come by so often. I’ve CS’ed in Arkansas, Montana, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Delhi, Agra, Bombay, multiple cities in Spain and Holland, Switzerland, Albania, Czech Republic, Greece, and so many more! I’ve hosted as well while living in Charlotte and like taking foreigners out to bars and showing them how Americans party.
Anuar’s place in crazy Barcelona after he kindly got me from the police station
Goofing around with French surfers that stayed at my apartment in Charlotte, NC
CS place in Mumbai with Elise, who was my first friend in India!
Because of CS I have made great friends, had the best tapas Barcelona has to offer, Scuba-dived with a Greek god in Santorini, gotten into fancy parties at top clubs, local festivals, made new friends, and had a free place to stay and tour guide.
No one likes to say they use CS to save money, but I love saving money. It’s how I get to keep traveling. As long as you surf with someone you think you’ll get on with, you are getting a bonus of keeping some extra money in your pocket.
The dark side of couchsurfing
That was the good, but there are downsides to CS. You may dislike your host. Not because they are creepy, but maybe you just don’t have a thing in common or they are rude. Strangely this happens. I’ve had hosts not show up, or just give me a key and never show their faces again. I’ve had the creepy guys that were looking for a girlfriend. There are the ones that want to take you on a 10-hour tour of things they have memorized for everyone that stops by. This is why you MUST not settle just for a free place to stay. That’s not what CS is about. You need to find someone you think you’ll click with and message them multiple times before you go to see them.
I made a mistake in Delhi of staying with and Indian guy that I didn’t do enough research on. I was sick, tired, and just wanted someone local to show me through the chaos of the city. He had plenty of positive reviews but had I messaged him back and forth I would have seen something was off. He took advantage that I was sick and lied about having a bed for me. There was an incident where he made me uncomfortable. I left and he has since deleted his page. Below is my “bed”.
Bad things can happen in general while you travel, but the less risk you take the better your chances are of staying safe. For example, if you stay at a 5-star hotel and they pick you up in a Mercedes!
If that’s not your style and you like to wing it or are a bit of a risk taker then you really should be traveling with insurance. I used World Nomads Travel Insurance. when I backpacked India (now that I live here, it’s a different type of plan). I highly suggest them. Lonely Planet chose them as the best, and most travel bloggers are fans as well. Check a quote and you’ll see it’s very affordable!
Safety Tips for Couchsurfing
- SIGN UP EARLY. People won’t let you stay unless you have been on there a while or you won’t seem safe to them.
- Read all the reviews. Look for subtle hints from a reviewer who doesn’t want to just call the person out on being weird, but instead hints that they had problems.
- Message back and forth with the person about what they have planned while you’re there and make sure you like the same activities or you’ll feel trapped.
- Make sure they are not promoting something. The scams are starting to get annoying especially in India, where so many hosts are actually guesthouses.
- If they ask for gifts of money report them.
- If you get the 30 messages I get a week from creepo boys, just ignore them. If they send it as a CS request and it will make your answering percentage go down; just explain that in your information.
- Meet in a public place.
- Get their phone number ahead of time for if (when) you get lost.
- Tell friends where you’re staying.
- Tell your host what you want to do in their city so there isn’t confusion when you go out for a beer, but they have to work in the AM.
Getting ready for a big trip around the world? Read my guide to planning a trip from scratch to see how to get good deals on flights, see where you need a visa, packing tips, and literally everything else you need to know. You can also see my article on how to fly around Europe to 9 cities in 7 different countries for just $355 with my favorite booking site.
Pin these tips for safe couchsurfing for later:
Thank you for useful tips. I’m going to try it but I was always afraid.
It can be scary but is definitely worth a try!
Great to hear you’re still friends with some of the Couchsurfers you met along the way. We like your personal list of safety tips!
Thanks! Couchsurfing is an awesome idea!
This is so true, I’ve CS a ton and safety is really undervalued in the community! Great post (:
I agree, It’s awesome!
Hi Rachel,
I’m also a great great fan of CS and couldn’t travel without it anymore! I’ve met some of the greatest persons in my life while hosting and/or travelling this way (even my husband!!) and I could not recommend it more to anyone who wants to enjoy the joys of being on the road AND meet awesome people while at it.
But you’re right, reading someone’s profile is more than important, it IS the one and only thing that will keep you from ending up with too many creeps.
I’ve been using CS for 4 years and never had (touch wood…) any bad experience but it’s only because I’ve learned to read behind the words, behind the pictures… References are the most important, how people talk about themselves and the place they offer, who they’re willing to host, etc.
Let’s keep thinking positive and that good people will be the ones found there.
Enjoy the road and Happy Surfing!
Jul’
thats great! I’ve met loads of people who met on couchsurfing & got married- how awesome! Yes, you have to be intuitive when you read their profile for sure.
A host in Montreal hit on me…he kept mentioning how big his, erm, tool was, and he knew I had a partner at the time. He ended up leaving me an extremely passive-aggressive reference as a result. Then there was a lovely lady who I stayed with in Charleston, but the sleeping surfaces were covered in dog hair, and she had a homeless drug addict staying with her who was either drunk or whacked out on cocaine…
As a guy, I think I experience less safety risks when it comes to CS, but I do love it. I’ve met some really cool people, experienced amazing things and, of course, saved a lot of money.
jeez that’s so unfortunate! not all my hosts were who i thought they’d be, but you just have to sift through the bad ones.
Excellent tips! I can’t agree more on meeting in a public place, both as a host and as a traveler.
yes, it’s so important!
Hi Rachel.
I am an 63 years” old” woman living in an island Bornholm in the Baltic see. I have juring the last 2 years been hosting 113 people from 27 countryes and never had a bad experience. But I have had different experiences because people are different and that is not always because of the culture people are comming from. I always read peoples profiles and if thay have written very little about themselfes I ask to get more informations. I think specially young girls have to be carefull if a gyu only have one room and only want to host girls, not boys. But again, it depends on the references. Have a nice 2014 couchsurfingyear. My next couchsurfer is comming from Yekaterinburg in Russia in the end of this month!!
Greetings from Ilse in Bornholm ( a Danish island).
thats great that you’ve never had a bad experience! have a great year!
I have been an active member since 2007, no bad experiences . I don’t meet my guests/hosts in the public place, whats the use of it? I don’t really think it makes hosting/surfing safer..
to each their own!
Ok but at least you could give me an example. I mean, if you don’t like the person are you going to refuse hosting in the last moment? or give up surfing not having a place to stay? If someone is really dangerous I am sure he can hide his intentions until you enter his place ( or until he visits your home ). I met my host in the public place once, first thing she asked was to show my passport. That made me feel very uncomfortable.
Obviously the person could hide their intentions, but there’s a great chance with good judgement, you could tell if someone wasn’t safe. They might not even be who they say they are- so it’s smart to not exchange exact address ahead of time. And yes, absolutely, if I don’t feel comfortable with the person, I would 100% stay at a hostel instead. Of course. Keep in mind, this is a post on my opinions- not the couchsurfing rules.
If you are a traveller you can stay at a hostel but what if you are the host and on meeting your CS, they genuinely seem off and dangerous, what can one do ? Can you cancel on them ? If yes, how ?
you can just leave there is no commitment
Hi! Couchsurfing serendipity has struck! I was exploring the site, thinking about signing up but wondering what sort of CS activity there would be for my town, since I’ve never heard anyone else mention it. This post was linked under ‘Stories’ – imagine how surprised I was (am!) to find that you’re also from Charlotte! I took that as a sign, and promptly signed up for CS :)
I was very involved in CS in Charlotte! It’s how I met all my friends when I moved there :) I hosted quite a bit as well, lots of backpackers from Europe come through, have fun!
hi Rachel. Your blog is awesome. I agree with the safety tips. I am planning a trip to brazil for the world cup. It will be my first experience with couch surfing. I still have some doubts. I am also afraid I might not be able to host many people from around the world in my city because I am busy at times. I’ve been saving some money. I hope everything goes well. I guess new experiences like couch surfing are challenging at the beginning.
thank you for all your info
i hope you have already sent requests! during holidays/festivals etc people fill up, or are busy going themselves and can’t host! have lots of fun
Hi Rachel,
I plan to start couchsurfing pretty soon. My first guest had to cancel his trip for some unavoidable reasons so I really don’t know how I am as a host ;). However, i have got pretty positive response from people with whom I wish to surf. Some have even taken the trouble of sending me messages and emails explaining about the various places to visit and eat in while in their city. So,it’s been a good start..virtually and only after I experience CS in person will I be able to give a better feedback. Thanks again for making us feel comfortable regarding CS while very particularly telling us how to be safe. :)
That’s great you’ve found such helpful hosts to stay with. You’ll have to let me know how it goes! I’m glad you liked the tips.
I just came back after a 4 month s e asia 9 country backpacking trip . Probably few indian women who do
Couch surfing was not the best experience for me . 99% of the times men were creepy and had ulterior motives in mind. Used it to meet people which helped .
And being from India , I can assure you not to trust men here . They are mostly creeps . All women should be very careful of Indian men on Couch surfing atleast . Had hosted a few women who told me about their disgusting experiences.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I’m sure it will serve as a warning to my readers!
Ms Anubha Sinha, I have seen your talk on you tube about traveling alone. Myself(63) and My wife(61) wish to tour Europe in May2015. Have you written any Blog? Or can you give some info for the same.
Its probably because of the women in India, they are always confused about sex and are arrogant so 99% of male population is frustrated and creepy!
I have just read your travel hints and must say what goes for surfers when selecting their host(s) ,goes as swell with host(s) selecting a potential surfer. I try to keep my profile as realistic and truthful possible giving hints to travelers regarding the special situation in an expensive country like Switzerland out of any international monetary relations and the problems this can bring for surfers. I always make sure before saying welcome, that they have read my profile, because as a host I need happy surfers and not disappointed sulkers.
I insist on not offering a crash pad for travelers traveling on so called bucket – or to dolists, who are abusing their eyes and minds as photographic devices, instead I am offering my free time and mutual cultural exchange at a leisurely pace – and last but not least cooking together is the best thing in Couchsurfing for me.
Great tips! I love couchsurfing myself, I’ve done it 11 times in South Africa and in Europe.. couldn’t recommend it enough! You just need to be smart about, meet in pubic, trust your instincts :)
I agree- it’s mostly your instincts. The more you travel and meet people from other cultures, the easier it is to tell if someone on couchsurfing is just “different” b/c of culture, or they are crazy lol
Great article! Very informative for someone who is about to try couchsurfing for the first time!
I’m a little conflicted about one thing though. Because I’ve never surfed nor hosted before I’m unsure whether to write that in my profile. On one hand, people will know I have no references and reviews because I’m a newbie, not because I was bad company. On the other hand, hosts may see this as a potential opportunity to try and take advantage of me. From an experienced couchsurfer, what do you suggest?
Thanks,
Jess
I don’t think someone would look at it that way (taking advantage of you). I accept surfers that don’t have references, although I don’t stay with people who don’t. I think they would just know you were new and want to show you how great it is! In a perfect world :)
Gonna try couchsurfing for the first time ever when I travel around Europe from June to August in Oslo, Brussels, Prague, Amsterdam and Krakow. Don’t know what to expect but thanks for the pieces of advice above
But I have a question because I have a neck problem for a few years now. Do you think I should tell the hosts when I send my couchsurfing requests and tell them upon my arrival. Am scared that people may not want to host me because my condition may get me tired (though I will bring my medication with me), at the same time I don’t want my condition to refrain myself from travelling around :(
I hope you love couchsurfing! I would mention that you have neck pain and sometimes it hits hard and you have to lie down. If not, they may think you are making it up to avoid talking with the host which could result in a bad review.
I’ve had amazing experiences with Couchsurfing! Ignoring the creepers definitely is a great tip..
I’m glad you also love couchsurfing.
Great Tips Rachel! We love CS and we used it a lot during our trip and still doing so even if it’s to meet locals for a drink or a chat. Some of our most memorable travel experiences are related to CS in same way, we even made friends for life in some occasion :)
Hi.
Am sorry about your bad experience in Delhi. And I would like to apologize on the hopeless host’s behalf.
thank you astha
Yeah Sorry Rachel. Please come again and I will show you what normal Indians are. Such punks are everywhere and they are not the norm
Thank Priya ;)
Hey ! Thank you for the tips, it’s really helpful!
I’m staying in Delhi for 3 days this summer, do you think it’s safe for me to use CS as i’m female traveling alone and i’m 20 yo ? :)
Hey! That’s a pretty good list. So far, I have never had a bad experience, for which I am thankful. I have had some weird messages, but never requests. Good post!
Sorry to hear you had bad experience in Delhi
i used to read only about your India travel and some funny and interesting stories
i browsed whole website its really good
keep up the good work
I love these tips, thanks for sharing them. I just signed up with Couchsurfing and messaged a host in Vietnam. She seems very nice. I really hope to learn more about Couchsurfing now that I plan to travel more abroad.
awesome, enjoy!
Hi Rachel , thanks for the reply in one of the older post . Nice Research and all small things been covered . I am a lonely traveller . Could you help me to do couching surf in Goa for the month of Jan also I am very attracted towards HIPPIE ( the way they spent their life and the way they live . ) Break the normal rule of life and do what makes you happy without hurting anyone . Live the life as you want , request you to please help me to find a group of hippie to join and live the life I want or the way are living Thanks . Looking forward for your response .
Regards Arun
Hi Arun, you need to make a couchsurfing profile, it’s free and easy. Then you can get reviews.
Dear Rachel
I’m new on using couchsurfing.
I am going to travel with my wife using this way. But I am so worry about that. I mean, I wanna know about the bad experiences you or other members have had. tnx
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for the post. It was really helpful. I was really unsure about couchsurfing, and this helped. I am from India, and I am really sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience here. Hope your stay is better the next time you are in the country.
Hi Rachel,
Im planning a trip to India in March 2016. Ive been travelling a lot solo and couchsurfing, but I got a bit scared for the night transit part. Reading all you blogs about India really reassure me. How can we find you on couchsurfing?
Cheers
Hi Sophie, I no longer couchsurf in India after a bad experience in Delhi. I haven’t been active as a host for the last 2 years since the blog as I had some strange incidents with people coming :( Be careful using CS in India! Read my post about Delhi.
Hi, My sister has hosted a few people in different ocasions. Do you think I can get the good reviews for that too? I just made an accont. Im from Mexico but i travel very often. Thank you.
Rachel
Thank you for your great tips. My daughter and I are going to New York for her 30th birthday. We’re best friends but I’m still her mom and want us to be safe. She’s a beautiful, high spirited, fun loving woman. We have a hotel for the 5 days that we’ll be in NY but Nichole is the one who wants to couch surf , in Brooklyn. I think it’s great to meet new people and then someday return the favor. I think she already started the process. But how do I get started? We leave for NY, May 18. Thanks again for your insight,
Tina V
Tina, You won’t have to do anything – she would say in her request that there are two people staying, so I suppose you can leave it up to her.
Just wanted to ask: If you just want a room through CS, and would prefer to be left alone (ie do your own things in terms of sightseeing, no need for the host to show you around, etc.) is it possible?
In that case, you shouldn’t do couchsurfing as it’s meant to be a way to mingle with your host and locals and a host would be angry if you were just using them for a free room.
Rachel, thank you very much for your tips, they were very useful. I am brand new to couchsurfing and will try it out in Paris this summer. I guees everything will work out great!
Saludos y gracias
Lucas
Happy to help and good LUCK!
I loved these tips and as I’ve been nervous for my couch surfing experience these ideas make me at ease and help to add philosophy to my CS style as cheesy at it sounds! Is there person that you got tapas with in Barcelona still accepting guests? That’s my first stop for CS when I head over to Europe and it would be lovely to meet them :-)
Hannah
Hannah,
No, he doesn’t live there anymore! But I hope you find someone great to stay with.
Hey Rachel,
Good to know you live in Goa! I’ve been a host and surfer for a few years now and love it. Any tips on how to organise a fun CS meet? I tried to organise something called CookSurfing where members/travellers come home and cook. All of 4 people arrived. Two were my friends and the other two were my own surfers!
Well, it was fun anyway.
Jonah
Hi Rachel,
I’ve booked an interrailing pass for this summer to go travelling around Europe. Originally I was going to go with friends but they decided against it so I’m going alone. When my sister went travelling she used to CS and I am debating to try it as it sounds like such a good experience but a part of me is concerned as I’m 18 and female. I have travelled before, I went to India last summer for 3 weeks and had no problems. Wondering if you could give me any advice/reassurance.
This blog is mega helpful and has already given me the confidence to give it a go.
Thanks
I did Eurail in Europe alone and also did Couchsurfing while I did that – it was an amazing experience!
Please be aware that a company called “couchsurfing.com” does not care if the people they place in your homes are hard drug users and a danger to your children. A friend of mine reported someone who has documented gang ties and hard drug use and couchsurfing.com still allows this person to be a member and search for places to live through their service. They do not care about the safety of your home and your children. Please do not use the services of “couchsurfing.com”
Hi Rachel,
Great blog. Can you provide safety tips for Hosts too?
I am fairly new to CS and will be hosting some guests. One request to stay at my place is from a person who is not Verified and is new to CS (so there are no references). How can I find more about the guest as there is not much info in CS profile. After all I will be opening my house to them and there will be times when the guest may be alone in my house. Thanks.